BY KWANELE TSABEDZE
MBABANE – Only one will emerge!
This is the story of the 2023 Spirit of Hip-Hop (SOHH) Rap Battle set for this Saturday 29 July at The Albert Millin.
Of the 49 who applied, twelve of the most compelling artists were selected for the rap battle which will take place at the Coronation Park at 9AM this Saturday.
The Spirit of Hip-Hop published a statement on their official social media page stating that the shortlisted rappers were chosen for their exceptional skills, creativity, and unique styles.
“It is truly an honour to announce the names of the 12 shortlisted rappers who will compete for the coveted title,” read a part of the statement.
The selected rappers were announced to be Naja Predator, Hailey, Gzzy, P1, Rawny Sharp, M.I.C. Ace Julz, Smaggz, Sisekelo Shawn, Since 2easy, Rex ResPecT, and Shatt Res.
“Good luck to each and every one of you, and may the spirit of hip-hop guide you to greatness!”, concluded the statement to the contestants.
Having listened to all the entries, Mzwandile ‘Lution’ Nxumalo of Kingdom XLR, one of the organisers of the SOHH, promised fans an outburst of talent and skill to be displayed by the rap contestants.
“Eswatini is wealthy when it comes to talent and all around. However, in the context of Hip Hop, we were quite blown away – especially from the perspective of Kingdom XLR Music Compilation, because in just a week we got 49 artists to apply, and a majority of them are great musicians. The whole point of looking at them as musicians as opposed to just battle rappers is that we are trying to foster a generation of sharp artists, as opposed to just cypher rappers,” said Lution.
“It was very overwhelming and tough to get to the final 12, but we had to,” added Lution.
The Spirit of Hip Hop returns to Eswatini this year as Hip Hop music as a genre turns 50 years old. Part of the line-up for the show includes Eswatini’s best rappers who have been acclaimed for over a decade, such as Lution, Qibho Intalektual, and Kena.
